The Unavoidable Gun Cliché

From a gun made of words, to words full of guns!
Image from 2Dolphins.com

It struck me, when reading comments regarding President Obama's executive orders on guns, first that we have a hair-trigger overreaction as a culture, whenever even a whisper of "gun control" is uttered. And, more superficially, that we have an inordinate number of gun-related clichés. To the point where it's almost impossible to read a comments section or editorial on the issue without recognizing unintentional double-entendres.

Off the top of my head I can think of:

Give it a shot

On target

Jumped the gun

With a bullet

Lock and load

Lock, stock and barrel

Bite the bullet

Pistol whipped

Missed its mark

Gun shy

Calling the shots

Get the lead out

Shooting blanks

Itchy trigger finger

Going great guns

Zero in

Going postal

Drop the hammer

The whole shooting match

Broad side of a barn

Under the gun

Quick draw

Loaded for bear

Riding shotgun

Set your sights on

Dodged a bullet

Trigger happy

Went off half-cocked

A shot in the dark

Pulled the trigger

Under the gun

I'm quite sure this is a very partial list. Because you find endless variations. Especially when writing colloquially, as most tend to do on blogs or comment sections. It may be as difficult to avoid as Biblical quotes and allusions are for an atheist! It really says something that we're so steeped in gun culture that we don't even notice that the language is shot clean through with them!

John Kerry Signs UN Treaty, Gun Rights Advocates. . .Up in Arms

Apropos of nothing, what's going on with
Kerry's face anyway? Image from
source, Huffington Post

Heh, sorry about the pun in the headline, but have you notice how many hackneyed gun metaphors we have? On target, locked and loaded, half-cocked, they're just everywhere. It's like an atheist (like me) trying to avoid saying "oh, god" or "Jesus Christ!" Oddly enough, religion seems tangled up in the gun rights battle. In fact, their love for guns seems to be equal parts politics, religion and sexual fetish. There is no faster way to get a rise out of anybody than to raise the specter of gun control.

So, is it any wonder that an treaty having to do with guns, signed by Secretary of State John Kerry (a DemonRat!) might get a rise out of them?

[Excerpt]

Arms Trade Treaty, Signed By John Kerry, Opens New Front In Senate Battle Over Gun Control

The latest front in the Senate battle over gun control opened Wednesday, as Secretary of State John Kerry signed the United Nations Arms Trade Treaty in New York. . .

Read more at: Huffington Post

Double-standard on Recall Elections?

Image from source, Wonkette

Back when Wisconsin Governor Scott Wanker Walker faced a recall election, the prevailing wisdom was that recalls are for elected officials who have done something wrong. Not something unpopular, but committed a crime, or done something unethical. So, even though Walker was deeply unpopular, he managed to keep his seat, because Wisconsinites thought a recall wasn't the right thing to do.

Tuesday in Colorado, there was a recall election that was successful. A couple of legislators who'd been behind some modest gun control measures were recalled. They didn't commit a crime, or do anything unethical. They just went against the NRA, a lobbying group with very deep pockets and a fanatical base. Of course, recalling legislators for unpopular actions rather than crimes isn't without precedent. It was done in Iowa with state Supreme Court justices who'd decided in favor of marriage equality. In fact it was attempted in two separate elections, though it failed on its last try.

But I guess I'd like to see a little consistency in the conventional wisdom. Are recall elections for unpopular (or just unpopular with a small but vigilant group) a good thing or a bad thing?

[Excerpt]

NRA Fires Two Colorado State Senators For Doing Their Jobs And Voting On Stuff
Welcome to the USofNRA! And woe be unto you, any politician who dares to cross our not so new overlords in this quick-draw special interest group, by trying to maybe take high-capacity magazines from any maybe-crazy-maybe-not person who wants to get their warm, live fingers on a gun. Because in Colorado, where two rather awful mass-murdering shooting sprees were committed by some awfully deranged mass-murdering spree shooters in Columbine and Aurora, state Senator Angela Giron and Senate President John Morse were straight up recalled by 56% and 51% respectively of the maybe voter suppressed folks in their districts, because “Morse and Democrats passed laws that limit ammunition magazines to 15 rounds and require universal background checks on all gun sales and transfers. . .”


Read more at Wonkette

Meanwhile, on Facebook Gun Control, Right vs. Left

 Submitted without comment. . .

Click to embiggen

Texas: Another Reason I'm Moving to the Gun Control Camp

People who look at this and are inspired,
scare the crap out of me. Image from source.

If it isn't clear why a formerly neutral-on-guns guy like me is becoming ever more in the gun control camp, here's one reason: Texas. I don't think I really even need to elaborate, just look at Governor Goodhair there, posing like Yosemite Sam. Then scroll down and read the plastic gun story, the guns for kids story. . .anything from the NRA, especially any utterance by Wayne LaPierre. This cultish, fetishistic, addiction to guns we have as a country is really starting to rub me (and a whole lot of people) the wrong way. And the lunacy of people who proclaim themselves to be patriots, ready to take up arms against the "tyranny" of the federal government? How would that go down exactly? If you think that is a likely outcome in this country, I'd love to hear from you in the comments, about how you think that would go down.

[Excerpt]

Texas House Approves 12 Firearms Bills To Put More Guns In Classrooms And Defy Federal Law

On Saturday, as Texas hosted the National Rifle Association’s annual convention, the Texas House passed 12 gun bills to make it even easier to obtain and possess firearms in the state. The onslaught of legislation contains provisions to allow college students to carry handguns in class and to block any theoretical federal bans on assault weapons or high-capacity ammunition. The 12 bills, a veritable goody bag for gun rights advocates, passed easily in the Republican-dominated House. . .

Read more at: Think Progress

Lawrence O'Donnell on Selling Guns to Children

Earlier, I wrote a post about the company that sells "Cricket" and "Chipmunk" guns--real guns--to children. I think it's a pretty good post, but I have to hand it to a pro like Lawrence O'Donnell. There's a reason he has a television show, and I have a humble little blog. Check him out.

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Captain Obvious: We Shouldn't Sell Guns to Children

To have a driver's license in most states, you must be at least 16 years old. Cigarette sales are restricted to people who are at least 18 years of age. Voters must also be 18. Alcohol can't be obtained unless you're 21. It's hard to rent a car unless you're at least 25. But they're marketing guns to children?

Guns for kids, named "Crickett" and "Chipmunk?"
From Crickett.com (currently offline).

In the classic movie A Christmas Story, little Ralphie wants nothing more than a Red Ryder BB gun. Of course it's fiction, and takes place in the 1940s, but it's not an unknown desire. In fact, my brother and I received our Daisy (odd name for a gun) BB air rifles at a fairly young age, I'd say between 7 and 9. And we both fired real guns, though only in the immediate presence of a parent or grandparent. We grew up around guns, some locked (barely) away, and some out in the open. We were (mostly) taught respect, and the very serious nature of firearms, and (almost) never had any sort of incident. Well, nobody got shot.

But that was the 1970s, a time when my sister's car seat was a device to keep her still and out of Mom's hair. As a safety device, it was appalling, two hooks over the back seat,  maybe a lap belt fastened across it? There's no doubt it would have become a projectile in an accident. We did safety half-assed in the 70s, nobody denies that. And today, we might have a tendency to be overprotective. But in a world where child safety and "what about the children" is paramount, how in the world is it legal to market and sell real guns to children?

Barbie's Dream Rifle?

As President Obama has "evolved" on gay marriage, I'm evolving on gun control. I've been moving from sort of against it, to indifferent, to wary, to almost fully in the gun control camp. It's not just tragic and horrific gun deaths that has pushed me over, it is the appalling response and behavior from gun fetishists freaks nuts enthusiasts. When your first response to a mass shooting is, "Gubmint better not be thinking about taking my guns!" there's a problem. When there are instantaneous, ridiculous conspiracy theories after each new massacre, the problem is getting out of hand. The strange quasi-religious, fetishistic, near addiction some people have to guns is quite off-putting, even to a person who was raised around them. The fanatical, rabid defense of the 2nd amendment over all the rest of the Constitution is more than odd, it's hypocritical. And extending all of that into guns marketed to 5-year-olds is fucking insane.

[Excerpt]

Guns for Kids Marketing Debate Ignited by Latest Child Death

The tragic shooting death of a 2-year-old girl by her 5-year-old brother this week was compounded by the fact -- baffling to many who don't use guns -- that the .22 rifle the boy used has been given to him as a present. . .

Read more (with annoying, autoplaying video) at: ABC News

And I've saved the most appalling image from Crickett's website, via Mother Jones, for last.

Jon Stewart: 2nd Amendment the Only One Conservatives Care About?

Jon Stewart raised the topic of the odd conservative fixation on the 2nd amendment to the Constitution--seemingly above all others--in a way that just tickled me. Because I have made this argument countless times both on the blog and in conversation, but I never succeeded in making it this entertaining. Keith Olbermann did it once, but we don't have him to kick around anymore. So, thanks to The Daily Show for making the point so well.

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes,Indecision Political Humor,The Daily Show on Facebook

Boston Bombing Doesn't Somehow Negate Gun Concerns

Yep. Special kind of moron.

Bad analogies make me crazy. Oh, I know, I'm sure I've made a few, not every attempt at cleverness is a success. And in a world that is now ruled by social media memes, it seems even the most horrific happening is (quickly) turned into them. Some are truly clever, thought provoking and memorable. Others strain so hard to make their point, they hit you over the head like an anvil. And the conservative attempts at "humor?" Well, they're often better left unsaid.

Several days ago when there was a mass stabbing, there were goofy memes playing off of "knife control," entirely missing the point that nobody died in that unfortunate event.  And now, with the Boston Marathon bombing, the pressure cookers used to make the bombs have become the new "isn't this clever" item to mock gun control. First, let me say that conservative attempts at humor are often  groan-worthy. But it is often difficult to articulate what it is that bugs you about it, the weak attempt at humor, the bad analogy, the poor execution. . . Mostly, it's the actual sentiment behind the "joke," the lame argument that is being made, that is actually believed by a whole group of people.

So, it is wonderful when you find the perfect encapsulation of what bugs you about one of these things. And here it is.

[Excerpt]

If you think Boston is a reason to abandon gun safety laws, you're a special kind of moron

. . .Let's imagine a scenario in which roughly 4,000 Americans have been killed by weaponized pressure cookers between last December and now. I'm willing to bet Campfield would be fairly beside himself demanding we stop bad people from getting pressure cookers, and the idea of letting people who have already have a history of assaulting people with pressure cookers buy more pressure cookers, due only to our own unwillingness to check up on those things, would sound so stupid that nobody would even propose such a thing. Let's imagine a world in which, whenever a child finds a pressure cooker under his parents' bed, there's a good chance that child dies. We'd damn well be figuring out what to do about parents who leave goddamn pressure cookers under their beds. Yes, you can kill someone with a pressure cooker, or a spoon, or a piece of stout twine—but there's nothing better for killing people than an actual weapon. . .

Read more at: DailyKos

President Obama's Angry Response to Senate Filibusters on Gun Laws

The President wasn't thrilled with the Senate's decision to do nothing about gun control legislation. I wasn't either, but the Blogger software ate my entire post, so here's the video. I'm tired.

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

SNL: Obama Announces Success in Gun Control Battle. Sorta.

I don't know if Jay Pharaoh is getting better at his Barack Obama impression, or if I'm just warming to it.

Filibusted? Will There Really be a Vote on Gun Control?

I suspect that many gun owners see themselves
as Cable. Just a hunch.

If there's one thing I don't understand about American politics, it is why gun control can barely even be discussed. No doubt, we've come closer than just about ever, since the Sandy Hook shootings. And no doubt, there are lots of hot-button issues that make temperatures rise very quickly. But nothing like gun control makes people violently angry with little provocation.

Well, let me amend that. The holy right-wing trifecta of "Guns, God and Gays (and don't forget abortion!)" are all testy subjects, with the frothy foam coming mostly from that side of the aisle. Hey, right wing! Anger management! Look into it! Anyway, if you gently broach some of those subjects with some conservatives, you might at least have a reasonably civil discussion. But guns? Even with friends, it seems like the discussion spirals out of control barely ten words in. And it degenerates into silly arguments: "THAT'S not an assault rifle! It's not a CLIP, it's a MAGAZINE!!!"

From a liberal perspective--even me, never much of an anti-gun activist--many gun enthusiasts come off as slightly demented and a little scary. Some quite demented and a whole lot scary. To them, guns are the primary part of what they consider to be free, to be an American, to be (oddly enough) a Christian. Who would Jesus shoot? So, we're bewildered when even the most moderate, popular and non-obtrusive suggestions toward curbing gun violence are met with fierce blowback. When upwards of 90% of Americans are for universal background checks, the NRA and its fans go apeshit.

I'm including this meme only to point out its stupidity.
No, don't ban it. License it. Insure it. Make its owner
pass a test. Properly maintain it and have it inspected.
Make sure it's "street legal." Make its owner obey
all laws of its operation. Require registering it. Require
transfer documentation if sold. Etc., etc.

And then Congress cowers. Blue dog Democrats lapse into conserva-Demdom. Even with public support, and a very weakened NRA (who lost almost all of their electoral battles in 2012), the teeth have been taken out of every proposal. Ridiculous arguments like "criminals don't obey laws, so the only people punished are law-abiding citizens*," or "some people can change magazines in a second, so limiting their size won't make a difference," somehow gain credence. And Republicans threaten a filibuster of even the watered-down already modest proposals.

Well, at least that last part may not happen. Support for the filibuster seems to have waned (though by the time you read this, that may have changed). So the Senate will maybe be able to say they did something--however token--to answer Sandy Hook. I think they finally may have realized that that's all they need to do to make this all go away. Until the next mass shooting.

[Excerpt]

Threat to Block Debate on Guns Appears to Fade in Senate

Several Senate Republicans said Tuesday that they would not participate in a filibuster of the first major gun control bill since 1993, as Democrats appeared on the verge of overcoming a blockade threatened by a group of conservatives before a word of debate on the measure was uttered. . .
Read more at: New York Times

* No other arguments about laws work this way. We don't say that laws against murder or robbery or rape are worthless, because criminals won't obey them. It's perhaps the stupidest argument I've ever heard.

Senate Dems Still Scared of NRA

Yes, I voted for him. The alternative was Sharron Angle.
Image from source, TPM.

Even though the NRA's pull these days is anemic, and their backed candidates mostly lost. . . Even though the American electorate is heavily for background checks, and at least rudimentary gun control legislation. . . Even though Wayne LaPierre and the bulk of vocal pro-gun voices are coming off batshit crazy and hyper reactionary. . . Even though the Sandy Hook mass shooting of children struck more of a lasting chord with Americans. . . Democrats are apparently still terrified of the NRA. I think it's kind of Pavlovian. Sort of a Stockholm Syndrome thing. I mean, when the polls are in the 90+ percentile for background checks, and politicians are still skittish? I just don't get it.

[Excerpt]

Assault Weapons Ban Dead In Senate, Gun Background Checks In Critical Condition

The assault weapons ban is all but dead, and mandatory background checks are touch and go. Three months after the Newtown shooting, prospects of Congress passing a broad gun control package have dimmed considerably. . .

Read more at: Talking Points Memo

New Details About Newtown, 152 Bullets in Less Than 5 Minutes

Whatever your politics (if any) on gun control, this video is worth watching. For one, it will disabuse you of the notion that Rachel Maddow is a wild-eyed reactionary. Secondly, she gives an excellent account of the chain of events in the Sandy Hook Elementary mass shooting in  Newtown, Connecticut. It's easy to follow, and even handed (and comes with an advisory warning for people who'd rather not picture the events). Starting at about 1:45, she chronicles what happened, and only after about 6:30 is there any particular editorializing. And what editorializing there is, in my opinion, is hard to argue with.

152 bullets in under 5 minutes. Four reloads, with extended magazines. How different might it have been if the shooter had to reload 15 times, instead? It's a valid question, and a good one.

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Joe Heck Considers Gabby Giffords a "Prop" for Gun Control Advocates

Image of Gabby Giffords from source, Think Progress

Joe Heck has been a politician in Nevada for as long as I can remember, and I've been here for over 18 years. Sometimes he wins, sometimes he loses. But he hit the jackpot in the 2010 GOP wave election, defeating freshman Congreswoman Dina Titus (who was swept back into congress in the 2012 election), and is now a two-term US Congressman. My take on Heck was mildly negative, for admittedly shallow reasons: he is a Republican, and he reminds me of a sister wife, minus the upswept hairdo. I don't know why, maybe it was just his photo on his campaign signs. Anyway. . .

My negative opinion of Heck has gained a little depth since my original assessment. I've since heard Heck several times in interviews and call-in segments on local Las Vegas talk radio. And from what I've heard, Heck is Meet the Press ready, with canned GOP answers for every question. Sure, the answer may not fit the question to a T, but it is guaranteed to match whatever the talking points of the day are. And now, Heck may have said too much to one of those local hosts, a blowhard named Alan Stock. I think Heck may have gotten to conversational, too comfortable in the right-wing echo chamber.

[Excerpt]

Congressman Considers Gabby Giffords A ‘Prop’ For Gun Regulations

Congressman Joe Heck (R-NV) on Tuesday agreed that he considers former Rep. Gabby Giffords (D-AZ), who was a victim of an assassination attempt two years ago, a “prop” in the debate over gun regulations. . .

Read more at: Think Progress

State of the Union: Obama Delivers Powerful Address

State of the Union Addresses always tend to bog in parts, and President Obama's was no exception. Tuesday night's address wasn't his most powerful speech. Neither was it the sleepy first debate performance, don't get me wrong. And it picked up about midway through, building to an emotional crescendo over the issue of gun control. But I'm glad I watched while reading my Twitter feed, because it made things much more entertaining (poor Marco Rubio, more on that in a bit).

[Excerpt]

Obama challenges GOP, presses big agenda at State of the Union

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

President Barack Obama challenged Republicans on major tax and entitlement proposals in Tuesday's State of the Union address, unveiling sweeping new initiatives to boost the middle class while taking aim at GOP recalcitrance. . .

Read more at: NBCNews

NRA: AR-15s are the "Musket of Today"

G'head, play it, then continue reading.



That's my reaction to the continuing idiocy that issues forth from the National Rifle Association. I tell ya, they're their own worst enemies over there at the NRA. Take me, for example. I was Switzerland, baby. I grew up around guns, was raised to respect them, and had no real issues with gun collectors and hunters and "sportsmen" who like ta shoot up road signs and whatnot. But you guys are blowing it. That infamous "middle" that all of politics covets? They're sliding into the "gun control" side, and away from the "gun nuts" "gun fetishists" "gun fellators" "gun rights" advocates. And it's shit like this that's doing it.

Dumbass. Image from Raw Story.

[Excerpt]

NRA President David Keene says AR-15s are ‘the musket of today’

The president of the National Rifle Association (NRA) says that the Second Amendment was designed to protect the right to own muskets and the AR-15 military-style assault rifle — like the one used to slaughter 20 children in Newtown — is just “the musket of today. . .”

Read more at: Raw Story